Stretch Your Horse Blog

3 Common Problems Long Lining Can Help Solve!....and Why It Is Better Than Lunging!

What is an amazing technique all riders in all disciplines can do from the ground to improve their horse’s performance, biomechanics, self-carriage, rehab a horse from injuries, as well as improve rider communication (seat, hands, release cues) when riding? Long lining! Yes, long lining… which is not the same as traditional lunging! (also spelled longing)

We are very fortunate to have guest blogger, Andrea Quale, owner of Andrea’s Horse Training, with us today. Andrea is a highly experienced dressage and western trainer. In this blog post, Andrea will discuss and demonstrate what long lining is, the 3 most common issues long lining can help solve, and why long lining is much more effective than lunging with or without side reins and much more effective than a pessoa lunging rig.

Drum roll….. Take it away Andrea!!

What is long lining? Why is it Far More Advantageous than Traditional Lunging or Using a Pessoa?

See the direct effect your communication cues, posture and energy are having on your horse and make corrections more easily than riding;

See where the root cause of a challenging or “stickie area” is coming from, such as not stepping under in the hind end or the inability to bend in the rib cage or the neck; and

Easily move your horse all around the arena, and use poles, caveletti, and even small jumps.

Most importantly, when long lining, you can give a precise RELEASE of your cues very closely mimicking the riding release. This is critical because horses learn from the release of pressure.

When lunging in a traditional manner or using a pessoa, you do not have the benefit of two reins. The communication and effectiveness of your cues is greatly diminished. In many cases, you simply cannot give effective cues at all as you only have a connection to one side of your horse’s body. You also cannot easily do all of the movements mentioned above. It is also much more difficult to get a fully accurate and clear picture of where you and your horse might be having communication issues, or places where you or your horse might “cheat” when doing transitions or movements. For example, a horse who may have a “stickie area” when it comes to bending in their ribs is easier to communicate with and help via long lining because your connection with both inside and outside reins enables you to influence the shape of the horse’s body.

A Quick Story About Ilene and RexIt’s Ilene again. When Andrea taught me how to long line my horse, Rex, she explained all of the above. I could immediately see all the benefits versus traditional lunging or using a pessoa. However, I have to admit, I was skeptical about how this could improve my riding ability. Andrea is an amazingly skilled trainer for horses and riders, and extremely ethical. She would not make unsubstantiated claims. Still, when she said long lining would improve my riding, I nodded and smiled and thought to myself, “Yeah right…. I am not so sure about that.”

I had a leg injury and could not ride for several months. Rex and I long lined a lot during this time. When I resumed riding, well……. it was time for me to eat my words. One big fat GULP!! I immediately felt the difference in my hands, posture and communication with Rex. When I am wrong, I am wrong… but what a great way to find out I was wrong! I now use and recommend long lining as part of the tools riders can use to improve and maintain their horse’s health….just like stretching!

Ok… Back to Andrea….

A Quick Biomechanics and Self-Carriage PrimerIn a nutshell, in any riding discipline, your horse’s hind end must properly engage so there is seamless transference of weight throughout their body. For example, you can usually see your horse’s haunch drop when you ask them to back up. This movement transfers much of the horse’s weight off of their shoulders and onto their hindquarters.

You also want the horse’s neck to be in a very gentle arc, with the throatlatch area open, and the nose either at or slightly in front of vertical. Under no circumstances should your horse’s neck be in hyperflexion (aka rollkur) which can occur in both English and Western riding disciplines. When these things are happening properly, your horse will be able to engage their abdominal muscles and lift their back. As a result, their movement will improve!

Andrea on Norbert demonstrating a good, proper shape of thehorse’s topline and neck in dressage.

By long lining, you can help your horse improve all of the above-mentioned items from the ground. Then, when you are riding, it will be easier for you to help your horse move with proper biomechanics and self-carriage. Self-carriage means the horse is balancing themselves. The rider's hand are soft and relaxed and do not have a vice grip on the reins to hold the horse in a frame. Self-carriage helps prevent injury caused by improper biomechanics.

Two excellent sources of information that provide a detailed explanation of proper equine biomechanics applicable to ALL disciplines are: Tug of War: Classical Versus Modern Dressage, by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, and Dr. Deb Bennett’s article on the Ring of Muscles.It doesn’t matter what goals you have with your horse or what discipline you ride, this information is essential to keep your horse’s body strong and healthy.

One of Andrea’s students on her mare, Stella, demonstrating agood example of a proper western horse topline.

Long Lining Basics: The “Rider” aka You on the Ground!As you long line, your body and posture effects what is happening with your horse, just like when you ride. Stand up straight, engage your core, and bring your shoulders back. This will bring your horse in better balance and will allow your cues to be clear. If your body position is lacking, your horse can: 1) Tend to fall in on their circle or straight line with their body; 2) Lose energy; and 3) Lose the contact on your reins (the long lines.)This short video demonstrates what happens with your horse as your body position changes when long lining.

Three Common Issues Long Lining Can Help Solve….

1. Working on a Weakness in Your HorseHave you ever seen or ridden a horse that was so weak it was challenging for them to canter on the correct lead or change directions correctly in any gait in a balanced, fluid manner? Have you ever ridden or seen a horse that is weaker on one side when being ridden? Long lining can help solve these common problems!

Long lining enables you to teach your horse how to engage and strengthen their back and abdominal muscles so they can balance more easily and properly without having to worry about learning this while balancing you, the rider, at the same time. Once your horse has improved on the long lines, it will be much easier for them (and you!) to apply these learnings under saddle. Many training issues can be solved faster and more holistically by fixing them on the long lines first.

A Short Story About Athena….I had a small thoroughbred mare in training named Athena who could not stretch her neck and lift her back when someone was riding her. Athena was so inconsistent in her contact, speed, and balance that riding for her and her mount was uncomfortable. After only three long lining sessions, Athena enjoyed stretching into the reins and quickly learned proper balance in walk, trot, and canter on a circle. The long lines helped support her entire body. Because she learned comfortable contact and good biomechanics without having to balance a rider at the same time, this increased her confidence immensely. Finally, Athena was comfortable!

After two months of long lining 3 times per week, Athena was strong enough to move with proper biomechanics, balance and connection all over the arena in both directions, both on the long lines and under saddle!

2. Working on a Stickie AreaThe most common “stickie” problem I come across in my daily horse training is difficulty with lateral movement such as bending in the ribs on a circle and doing a proper leg yield. A horse will not completely release and relax their back and topline and step under themselves laterally (to the side) in a relaxed manner if their ribs and intercostal muscles (muscles in between the ribs) are not moving.

Horses receive communication through your body language and energy. If you are on the ground with long lines, and using your body language as well as the proper rein cues, you can teach your horse very specifically and clearly how to bend their body around your body position. For example, if you step toward your horse right behind their shoulder, that will teach them to move sideways away from your body. This is the beginning of teaching your horse to leg yield. Here is a short video containing an overview of bending and leg yielding on the long lines.

3. Rehabbing Injured Horses or Releasing Pent Up EnergyEver had to hand walk your horse for 30-40 minutes because they were coming back from an injury? Have you ever experienced that sketchy time where you are riding at the walk when your horse has pent-up energy? It’s much easier and more beneficial for your horse to long line during these times, and you can strengthen your horse’s topline and your communication cues while doing it! Long lining will also keep you safe in case your horse wants to rear or buck. It is easier and safer to teach your horse not to blow up from the ground. Plus, you do not risk falling off your horse.

Ready to Long Line? Here is the Tack Set Up!Long lining requires several pieces of equipment. These include:

Long line with your snaffle bridle. I do not long line with any sort of shank bit. It’s too much LEVERAGE on your horse’s mouth (too severe when you make even a small mistake).

It is best to have a cavesson (noseband) on your bridle to aid in your horse’s contact with the reins, but is not a requirement. Either take your riding reins off of your snaffle bridle or tie them up like you do when you lunge.

ConclusionLong lining very closely simulates riding and has the added benefit of the “rider” being able to see and feel how the horse responds to various cues. The entire body of the horse is engaged in the process and cues can be given with the support and aid of the long lines.

Long lining also enables the rider to teach their horse many exercises from the ground that can then be done under saddle. The learning process under saddle will then be much easier and quicker (assuming your saddle fits properly!)

Just like anything else, in order to achieve full effectiveness, you must use proper form while working with your horse on the long lines. I strongly advise seeking a professional’s assistance in order to ensure you are practicing properly and correctly and for the safety of you and your horse.

Are you excited to learn more about long lining? Contact a professional in your areas who knows how to long line to work with you or contact me if you live in the Portland, Oregon metro area.

About AndreaAndrea Quale, owner ofAndreasHorseTraining, is a very experienced dressage and Western trainer. She started riding as a kid in 4-H and Oregon High School Equestrian Team in all performance events such as obstacle trail, western pleasure, hunt seat, and dressage. As a kid, she also had a strong passion for dressage and showing at local dressage shows. She now specializes in training dressage. Andrea has helped many horses and owners with restarting and retraining their problem horses, rehabilitating horses from injuries, as well as moving horses of all breeds and disciplines up the levels in dressage. She uses holistic, positive training methods combining riding and groundwork so both rider and horse can achieve their goals and have a close partnership. She is located in North Plains, Oregon.

Additionally, many horses and dogs have "mystery tummy or digestive troubles." This could be hind gut issues in horses, diarrhea in horses and dogs or any number of problems.

This newsletter will focus on the use of papaya (for horses and dogs) for ulcers and "mystery tummy troubles" as well as new and surprising medical research on the use and efficacy of Omeprazole, long considered the "gold standard" for treatment of equine gastric ulcers.

OK.... Let's get to it!

Key Facts About Gastric UlcersFirst, here is an excellent infographic by Hygain presenting key facts about the prevalence, causes, signs and some treatment options for equine gastric ulcers. In addition to the signs mentioned on the infographic, mild colic, lying down more than normal, girthiness (not caused by a girth issue, poor saddle fit or a rib movement restriction (aka a "rib out") can also be signs of equine gastric ulcers.

H2 Blockers and Proton Pump Inhibitors....In Plain EnglishTypical treatment for equine, canine (and human) gastric ulcers involves the use of either Histamine 2 (H2) blockers or Proton Pump Inhibitors to reduce stomach acid. H2 blockers, (medicines such as Cimetidine and Ranitidine), work by blocking a chemical in the body called histamine that stimulates stomach acid pumps. Proton pump inhibitors, (medicine such as Omeprazole), work by "blocking" (inhibiting) the pumps in the stomach that produce acid.

As reported by TheHorse.com, new research from a team in Australia showed that "in some horses on certain diets, the duration of acid suppression of oral omeprazole....could be inadequate for ulcer healing. While omeprazole did a great job raising intragastric pH in horses on high-grain/low-fiber diets, it didn’t perform so well in horses on hay-only diets."

The researchers also discovered that under some conditions there was a cumulative effect of dosing—meaning the longer the treatment regimen (measured up to five days), the higher the pH, which is a new finding. In the end, the researchers determined using a cookie-cutter dosing recommendation for all horses might not be appropriate. Veterinarians should consider the diet and management of horses when making dosing recommendations. "A hay-only diet might be a bad idea in the therapeutic stage, at least in some animals," according to the researchers.

In summary, each horse's situation is unique. Cookie-cutter approaches do not always work. More research on oral and injectable omeprazole as well as oral esomeprazole is needed. Collaborate closely with your vet when considering ulcer medications and be sure to tell your vet about your horse's diet, turn out and other living conditions...all of which can potentially affect how well any medication works.

Can Some Papaya Each Day Help Keep Ulcers and "Tummy Troubles" Away?

Here is an article written by Gillian Clissold, an Advanced Level Eventer, regarding the use of papaya in horses. By the way, dogs can eat papaya too (in smaller quantities than a horse of course!) The seeds should notbe ingested.

Papaya aids digestion, in part, by increasing mucous secretion in the mouth, esophagus and stomach. In some cases, a horse that has been turning its nose up at food starts eating within moments of the administration of papaya. There seems to be what could be called a “reverse Pavlovian response”. The horse’s mouth waters so it feels the urge to eat.

Even more importantly, papaya initiates a thickening of the horse’s natural stomach lining which provides protection against excess acid. It gives damaged tissues a chance to heal, and helps prevent new ulcers. In horses moving vigorously (race horses, eventers, endurance horses) the esophageal mucous protection can help keep reflux from damaging the esophagus. In an ulcer study published in the March 2005 issue of The Horse Journal, “rapid relief within three to five days” was reported. The same study reported that other major natural products for digestive problems worked considerably more slowly.

In one case, a weanling with severe ulcers and a bloated stomach did not respond to expensive pharmaceuticals but did recover with papaya. A race horse that had such severe ulcers it could not race, even after many weeks on an acid reducing pharmaceutical, had a clear endoscopic exam after three weeks on papaya, and then won a stakes race.

Unlike most of the conventional anti-ulcer treatments, papaya is safe for long-term use. The calcium/magnesium antacid type products work by neutralizing acid and coating the stomach wall with a chalky protective layer. However, if they are used over an extended period, resulting high levels of magnesium can interfere with the absorption of calcium. Low calcium levels can cause nervousness, bone changes, weak and aching muscles and abnormal heart rhythms. The pharmaceuticals which reduce acid production are great for most acute ulcer symptoms. However, acid is needed to control and modify bacteria in the gut. If the acid levels are low for many months, “bad” bacteria, particularly Salmonella, can overpopulate the digestive tract and create conditions for colic. Furthermore, prolonged low acid levels can cause poor absorption of vitamin B12, inefficient utilization of dietary protein, food allergies, bloating and foul manure.

Papaya is also useful in conjunction with administration of certain medicines. Many people “prep” the horse with a half dose of papaya to trigger extra mucous in the digestive tract lining just before they administer an anti-inflammatory capable of damaging the stomach lining. They then administer the anti-inflammatory, and follow up with another half dose of papaya to wash away the foul taste of the medicine.

Similarly, endurance riders and eventers who give electrolytes to their mounts mix the powder with papaya before administering. The extra mucous triggered by the papaya protects the mouth, esophagus and stomach from the burn of frequent electrolyte administrations.

The mucous producing characteristic of papaya is complemented by the enzyme it contains called papain. Papain is the main active ingredient in meat tenderizer. It closely resembles the digestive enzyme pepsin. Old horses benefit from papaya because its enzyme breaks down what their less efficient digestive tract can’t, and they gain weight.

Papaya also helps foals who get “scours” when the hormones in their mother’s milk changes during the first heat which presents the foal’s digestive tract with a new challenge for which it does not have the appropriate microbe population. The papain enzyme picks up where the foal’s own system is insufficient.

Weaning is a stressful time, too. Not only are foals anxious (creating conditions for an ulcer), but they must deal with a change in diet, for which they may not have the correct balance of gut “bugs”. In addition to the papaya induced ulcer-preventative mucous secretion, the papain helps weanlings digest new diets while their gut microbes are adjusting.

Cribbing often decreases when horses have papaya daily. Cribbing incidence at weaning is drastically reduced, and about half of adult cribbers also reduce or cease the habit. While most positive effects of papaya are evident in a week, in the case of a confirmed cribber, it can take up to a month for improvement. (Cribbing associated with stomach pain or missing nutrients is most responsive to papaya.)Similarly, when antibiotics kill good gut bacteria, leaving the digestive tract unable to sufficiently break down food, diarrhea results. Papaya picks up where the bacteria leave off, and antibiotic-induced diarrhea can improve.

When horses get diarrhea during trailering, it can, in part, be due to anxiety-induced changes in gut motility not allowing absorption. The papain enzyme helps break down the food in the limited time it is in the gut and may reduce the diarrhea.

A final important characteristic of papaya is its taste and consistency. It has the viscosity of tomato ketchup, and is extremely sweet. This makes it ideal for camouflaging unpleasant medicines. One race horse trainer spent several hundred dollars for expensive antibiotics which his horse spit out on the walls before he realized the horse would happily swallow the dose if it were mixed with papaya. Horses who need extra salt in hot weather, but refuse it in their food, often lap it up if it’s mixed with papaya.

Papaya apparently tasted so good to one horse that he grabbed a bottle left close to his stall, chewed off the cap and licked up the resulting spill. Another owner found that if he approached the fence with a dosing syringe full of the fruit, his horse would immediately gallop over.

Papaya is also a mild “blood thinner”. The increased circulation associated with the slight anticoagulant effect may account for the very shiny coats and high incidence of dapples that many horses on papaya enjoy. Some caretakers also report an improvement in joint health as well. Papaya should not be administered to a horse that is on an anticoagulant already, as there may be an additive affect. Some stages of pregnancy can be complicated by bleeding, so it is unwise to administer papaya to a mare who is pregnant or who is about to be bred.

Where the Heck Do I Get Papaya??So, you are intrigued. You will probably Google papaya use in horses or dogs and come across a bunch of information. You will also discover papaya may help humans with heart health, diabetes, inflammation, digestion and a whole host of other things. But then it hits you.... where do I get papaya? Do I have to give my horse or dog fresh papaya each day? Is that practical? Is that in my budget? Good questions!!

You can certainly do that, but you can also try papaya puree or even papaya enzyme tablets. Both are less expensive, easier to administer and can be found online or in most health food stores.

The Bottom Line....There are many causes of equine and canine ulcers as well as other types of digestive disorders and "mystery tummy troubles." Sometimes traditional medications can provide relief. Sometimes "going the natural route" with papaya (or other items such as aloe vera juice) may be the answer. Each horse and dog is individual and care should be taken to evaluate the situation carefully, including understanding all side effects of medications and papaya.

Have you had any experience treating your horse or dog for ulcers, other digestive disorders or "mystery tummy troubles?" Share your experience on the Stretch Your Horse Facebook page.

Everyone could use a rejuvenating spa treatment and stretches for their own legs. Now you can do this for your horse! Here’s how….

You don’t have to search hard on the web to find many articles and a study by theNational Institutes of Health singing the praises of Sea Salt Therapy in humans. In fact, it is one of the hottest spa trends. Even the mainstream media is reporting on the benefits of sea salt therapy including: relief of muscle cramps, anti-inflammatory properties leading to decreased arthritis symptoms, skin and dental benefits, and asthma relief just to name a few. Guess what?? Hippocrates (the father of medicine) discovered the benefits of sea salt back in 460 BC. (NOTE: There is a big difference between organic sea salt and processed white table salt. Processed white table salt has almost no beneficial minerals left in it. Do NOT use it for the treatment discussed below.)

So, what does this have to do with horses? A lot! Read on….

Did you know that 65-70% of your horse’s weight is carried by the front legs? Have you ever stopped and thought about how amazing all 4 of your horse’s relatively small legs are? They carry around 1000-1400 pounds on average (horse + rider) and jump, navigate obstacles, do sliding stops and spins, cow sort, navigate hills and trails, perform dressage moves and so much more! That’s pretty impressive! All this hard work and stress can cause the legs to have small (or not so small) amounts of inflammation, become tired and build up toxins. The legs are also prone to injury.

**Use sea salt for even more benefit than the rock salt mentioned in the article

In addition to the deluxe sea salt leg treatment, there are also 3 great leg stretches you can do with your horse. They are:

The Bent Front Leg Stretch--For Front Legs

The Straight Front Leg Low and High Stretch--For Front Legs

The Farrier Low and High Stretch--For Back Legs

For you ambitious folks, there is also a fourth great stretch called Forward Farrier which is for the back legs.

Here is a picture and description of each stretch. (Muscle names provided for anatomy geeks, but you don't need to know the names to learn to do these stretches.)

Bent Front Leg StretchThis is an excellent stretch for the muscles located on the back portion of the horse's leg including the ulnaris lateralis, flexor carpi ulnaris and radialis as well as the muscles in the shoulder area including the triceps, teres minor, and even the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back.

Straight Front Leg Low and High StretchThis stretch is wonderful for many muscles of the leg including the flexor carpi radialis and ulnaris and the flexor digitorum profundus. It also stretches many muscles in the area of the shoulder blade (scapula) including the serratus, triceps, teres minor , supraspinatus and infraspinatus.

Farrier Low and High StretchThis stretch relaxes many muscles surrounding the hip, sacroiliac, and the front of the leg such as the tensor fasciae latae, the extensor digitorum lateralis and longus, and the gluteal muscles.

Forward Farrier Low and High StretchThis is a great stretch for the hamstring muscles, both the semimembranosus and semitendinosus, located on the hind end of the horse.

These stretches are all available as individual instructional videos also known as “in app purchases” in the Stretch Your Horse Mobile App. The App costs only $2.99 and comes with 3 videos. Each additional individual stretching video costs only $1.99. So, for only $11, you can learn to safely and effectively stretch your horse’s legs any time, any where even if you do not have cell service or an internet connection. This is less than half the cost of the average bag of grain and a fraction of the cost of a vet or bodyworker bill!

Search Stretch Your Horse in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to get the App!

I’ve always used the same product. It works, so I don’t need to change it.

Moxidectin (Quest) should not be used on foals less than 6 months.

Answers:

1. Large Strongyles are the most dangerous parasite for horses. FalseAlmost all dewormers effectively kill large strongyles. Therefore they are quite rare and pose little threat to regularly dewormed horses.

2. There is a single wormer that kills all equine parasites. FalseMoxidectin plus praziquantel (Quest Plus) works well against encysted small strongyles, large strongyles and tapeworms. However, it does not work well against ascarids in foals and should not be used on foals less than six months old. It is also important to switch classes of wormer to prevent resistant worms from developing on your property.

3. There are no negative ramifications if I underdose my horse on dewormer. FalseUnderdosing horses leads to resistance by only killing the most susceptible parasites and leaving the strongest ones to reproduce.

4. Horses naturally acquire immunity to ascarids after 18 months of age. TrueYoung horses are very susceptible to ascarid impactions, and should be wormed regularly with fenbendazole (panacur) at a 10 mg/kg dose for 5 days in a row to kill them.

5. The best way to manage pastures is to spread manure on them. FalseSpreading manure on your pastures can actually increase the parasite burden on your farm, unless the weather is hot and dry enough to effectively kill all the eggs.

7. Small strongyles are becoming resistant to all available dewormers. TrueThe adult version of small strongyles are fairly easy to kill while the encysted form are only susceptible to moxidectin for the time being

8. All horses on the same property will have the same parasite burden. FalseYounger horses often have higher worm burdens because they have less immunity, and just like people, some horses have less immunity and some have more.

9. A negative fecal exam means I never need to deworm my horse. FalseFecal egg counts can quite often have false negative results, meaning that they come back negative but testing a different fecal ball or a different pile of manure from your horse would actually have a positive result. Knowing that, all horses should be wormed a minimum of twice per year.

10. I’ve always used the same product. It works, so I don’t need to change it. FalseUsing the same product over and over breeds resistance in your parasite population. It also doesn’t kill all stages and types of parasite. Rotating wormers and using the appropriate one for the age of your horse is important.

11. Moxidectin (Quest) should not be used on foals less than 6 months. TrueHorses less than 6 months of age have a higher incidence of adverse reactions, including ataxia, depression/lethargy and recumbency. Very old and very thin or sick horses should also avoid moxidectin.

How did you do on the pop quiz? What did you learn? What worming products and protocol do you use on your horse? Join the conversation and share your insights and ideas on the Stretch Your Horse Facebook page.

This Parasite Pop Quiz was developed by Dr. Flynn Magaorian, BVMS, a staff veterinarian at Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services. She is currently on maternity leave, but you can contact Dr. Jack Root or Dr. Sylvia Oullette (pronounced Wool-lette) at Oakhurst Equine if you have questions or need assistance devising an effective worming protocol for your horse. (503) 554-0227.

This blog post is part two of a series discussing equine spinal health, Spinal Crowding Syndrome and Kissing Spine. In this post, we will discuss specific riding exercises to improve spinal health and movement, and, in some cases, even kiss kissing spine good-bye!

Once again, we are very fortunate to have with us guest blogger, Simon Cocozza, a registered Instructor and Examiner for La Fédération Française d’Equitation (FFE) who has extensive experience dealing these issues, and will share his Core Correction riding exercise method. His exercise method can be used in any riding discipline, English or Western.​A Short Refresher...In case you missedlast week's blog, Simon provided a very thorough, yet easy to understand, explanation regarding Spinal Crowding Syndrome and Kissing Spine. Please refer back to part one of the blogif needed.

Take it away Simon!

Getting to the Core of the MatterBelow are four introductory exercises that look quite simple, and in a sense they are, yet they will produce a noticeable improvement in the horse’s willingness to flex through the spine. They combine stretch and twist motions at low speed that break down the defensive ‘locking’ habit of the back and encourage the horse to learn to let go and allow progress to the strength building phase of exercises that will develop true engagement under impulsion. The horse's core is key. The movements should be repeated slowly and deliberately until fluid and easy, in a similar way as a pianist would repeat the scales to perfection.

As spinal crowding syndrome (SCS) is, in part, a psychological defense, the effect is not only a strengthening of the horse’s core but also provides practice of the basic ‘language’ of movement between horse and rider that will increase ease in a performance by developing trust at the same time as strength.These exercises should be performed initially from walk and repeated until the horse feels more fluid before moving onto the daily program. The human Yoga equivalent is also pictured which has the same effect on our bodies as it does on the horse.

Riding Exercise #1: Inside ‘Half Moon’ Bend and Stretch Quite simply a small circle around a cone, barrel or block at the walk, with long reins and lots of inside bend.

This stretches the outside of the body and helps the horse to let go of their lateral back tension. Don’t insist, encourage. Relax, wait and repeat until your horse's head drops and they bend more freely and regularly.

Bend and stretch

Yoga Half Moon Pose

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Riding Stretch #2: Leg Yield ‘Triangle’ Stretch at WalkAs with the revolved triangle Yoga pose for people, a stretched leg yield encourages the hips to rotate in the opposite direction from the shoulders, encouraging the spine to twist freely and gradually release its kinks. The horse may initially block themselves. Persist sympathetically and they will let go, drop their head willingly to the inside rein and step sideways with more and more elasticity.

Low deep bend ..... and crossing over Revolved Triangle Pose

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Riding Stretch # 3: Quarter to Full Turn On The Forehand – The ‘Half Split’Great for opening gates and even better for building the Multifidus system. This exercise works on many levels and when perfected later on, the horse will work in a very fluid outline. It teaches the horse to move away from a light inside leg which is the basis of straightness control, lateral work and precise cornering later on. It also builds the lateral and rotative pelvic control muscles, as well as simultaneously lifting the spine and separating the spinous processes to relieve impinged nerves.

Get one or two correct steps before asking for more. The horse must step under their body with the inside hind and rotate their hind quarters around the inside foreleg. Back up the inside leg with a gentle tap of the whip aid to get the first steps. Watch out for evasions such as stepping backwards and walking out of the outside shoulder.

When the horse easily drops the inside rein to you and willingly gives the outside rein a contact, the correction has been made.

This is essential for suppleness in the shoulders and rider/horse communication. From standstill (in the hault), with an open reined inside bend, increase the outside rein pressure until the horse steps away from the aid.

This develops thoracic sling motion range, encouraging the horse to carry their spine higher between the shoulder blades. This raises the horse's center of gravity and gives them the ability to push their front end upwards in each stride making their movement ‘uphill’ and supple, and allowing a space for the rear end to engage into. The result is light outside rein influence of the shoulder, allowing precision turns and the key to easily controlled shoulder in, half-pass and pirouette....not to mention various precise haunch turns required of Western riders.

Rotating the shoulders around the inside hind Yoga Thread the Needle Pose

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When beginning this work, the rider must think of a gentle, suppling guidance as the resistances are a combination of psychological as well as physical. Great care needs to be taken to ask for more effort and strength only after the horse has let go of their defenses.

Top Tips

Long and low will stretch the horse but when you have an improvement, do the exercise at least once ‘on the bit’.

Try to keep your weight in the saddle and stirrups always even sided whatever is going on.

If you can’t sit to the trot or canter, don’t. Use the exercises to get more spinal freedom, and then try later when the gait feels smoother.

When bending the horse, never pull the rein. Hold steady at the angle you want and wait until the horse gives to the rein in response to the leg. When they want to drop their head and stretch out, let them.

You and your horse need understand each other very well in order to bond and become one. If you feel that you can do a bit more, try it and let your horse be your guide.

A movement assessment core score 0 horse will walk, trot and canter in balance with their nose very near the ground, at or slightly in front of vertical, the moment you fully give the reins. This applies to all riding disciplines, English and Western. This is your goal.

These exercises encourage legs to cross. Boot up!

Every training session is a fresh beginning. It is never too late for a horse and rider to put the past in the past.

When you have felt the improvements brought about by mastering these simple exercises, move onto the more demanding ‘Core Correction – Advanced’ movements that encourage the individual’ full range of motion combined with impulsion. Contact me for details.

ConclusionWhen a horse has achieved a ﻿movement assessment core score of 0﻿(discussed in part of 1 of this blog), the horse will now be in the physical condition of those that these principles were developed to apply. One must remember the circumstances under which they were written are not those of today’s equine marketplace.With horses that have core movement scores of 4 or 5, my first advice is to seek assistance from your Vet. Obtain a lateral thoracic x-ray which will show immediately if there is any spinal crowding or kissing. Depending on the severity, there are a few options, which are traditionally surgical and/or anti-inflammatory medication.

My preference as a trainer is to retrain the Multifidus system to eliminate the original cause of the misalignment rather than alleviate the symptoms when possible. When done carefully, even very severe cases have been reversed with this method. Your horse may also need bodywork from an experienced professional like Ilene to help unlock the spine, back and neck muscles while doing these exercises.

Well, my friends, I hope these words are interesting and of use. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have problems, breakthroughs or wish to go further with this method. Please never forget the gentle willingness of horses is their most precious quality and the one most loved by us humans. If we truly want to bond in motion with these amazing and magnificent creatures, we must reciprocate by recognizing the silent signals of difficulty that are hidden by their innocent generosity.

May the horse be with you.

Has your horse been diagnosed with SCS or KS? Have you tried these exercises? Did your horse have surgery? Please join the conversation and share your experience and questions on the Stretch Your Horse Facebook page.

Simon Cocozza is a European qualified Dressage trainer and rider currently based in Normandy, France, and a registered Instructor and Examiner for La Fédération Française d’Equitation (FFE).

After passing the BHSAI in London, England, he then studied for the Advanced National Certificate in Equine Business Management and Equitation (ANCEBM) at Warwickshire College of Equine Studies. After graduating, he was understudy to Grand Prix dressage rider Bertil Voss (NL) with whom he learned to ride and train high-level performance horses. Since then, has had the pleasure of helping clients and horses to many French and European Championship successes.

His current work in dressage focuses on competition performance and unlocking the mysteries of optimal technique and proper biomechanics. His current lecture and tour is called "Releasing Your Horse's Inner Dancer" followed by "Ridden Exercises to Improve Your Horse's Core Strength." He can be reached at quadriapony@aol.comor VisconteCozza.com

This blog post is part one of a two part series discussing equine spinal health, Spinal Crowding Syndrome and Kissing Spine. We are very fortunate to have guest blogger, Simon Cocozza, a registered Instructor and Examiner for La Fédération Française d’Equitation (FFE) who has extensive experience dealing these issues, share his insights and solutions.

Harmony, Magic and A Strong CoreThe pursuit of mental and physical harmony with our horses has to be the ultimate riding goal. That is where the magic happens!

Our traditional training methods aim to build a horse’s muscles, reactions and fitness to power them when jumping over things, galloping fast, sorting cows, reining, performing impressive dressage movements, or riding trails. However, there are key muscles deep within our horses that can remain weak in even very fit horses making it impossible for them to work with core fluidity, leading to self-restraint when asked to move forward, poor performance, and in some cases, a lot of pain.

A clue to the origin of a "disconnected ride" are the symptoms we encounter when we are in the saddle or working our horse from ground, especially when long lining. Over the years it has become obvious that whatever the build, breed, discipline or even history, the same groups of resistances are experienced by most horses and their riders; only intensity varies. Painful spinal and back issues (not related to poor saddle fit which is beyond the scope of this blog but still a very real problem that must be solved) are often disguised as schooling or behavioral issues until they become severe enough to easily identify.

Core muscle weakness initially shows itself with a heavy, one-sided contact (among other all too familiar resistances,) and can indicate the onset of "Spinal Crowding Syndrome" (SCS), which is extremely common and often overlooked. Unfortunately, if not addressed, it can ultimately lead to a condition called “Kissing Spine,” in which part of the horse’s vertebrae called the spinous processes (pictured below) are touching each other.

One potential solution is “Core Correction,” a ridden system of Yoga for horses. By precisely targeting and strengthening inherent muscle weakness under the guidance of the rider, the pair can together develop self-carriage enabling the horse to use all of its muscles and create "the magic."

The horse’s spine without the rider’s weight. The proximity of the spinous processes are naturally very close in this healthy spine.

What is Spinal Crowding Syndrome? How Does it Lead to Kissing Spine?

Evolution has perfected the horse’s skeleton over millions of years to make him/her a great mover, but it did not make the horse’s back naturally strong enough to carry a human, however big and strong the horse may appear.

The horse’s natural reaction to the rider’s weight is to dip or slump their back.

When a young horse first carries a rider, the new weight placed over the middle of the spinal column causes it to slump or dip slightly. This is, of course, invisible to the naked eye due to the presence of a saddle.

This closes the already narrow gaps between the vertical spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae. As the horse’s work progresses into trot and canter, they can begin to feel discomfort as the nerves running between the spinous processes risk becoming rubbed, and if not corrected, pinched.

To limit discomfort as training becomes more demanding, the horse will instinctively tense the back muscles and ‘lock’ the area to limit the rubbing action. As horses are creatures of habit, once this defense begins, it is likely to continue. The horse loses the natural flexible qualities of their spine that are key to the elastic connection of large body sections.

At this point, the horse has now developed Spinal Crowding Syndrome, a precise term describing the complications of a hollow back.

Natural gap of spinous processes

Narrowed gap with slight spinal dip

As the horse is asked to perform more trot and canter work, he/she responds as best they can by using their limbs instead of their whole body, deliberately avoiding bending through the spine by triangulating the gait and swinging the hind quarters to the inside. It is for this reason so many well-bred horses are uncomfortable, never seem to fulfill their actual potential irrespective to their level of fitness, and why most horses move well in the field yet lose their natural cadence under saddle.

The Weak Link: Deep Core Muscles

The horse's deep muscles are crucial for good movement.

There are complex systems of muscles that control movement of the spine, called Multifidus, Psoas and Abdominal muscle groups. These are the horse's core muscles. They need to be very strong to support a rider while maintaining correct spinal alignment on the go. In fact, the entire ring of muscles must be functioning well to support the rider.

Simply asking the horse to move forward into the hand will not build the core muscles, particularly if the spine is already a little dipped and locked, as adding impulsion will hollow the back further and the horse's body begins working against itself with negative back tension. In fact, more impulsion worsens the problem.

What is Kissing Spine?When our horses become more mature and we ask for work in a more advanced outline or frame, the muscles over the spine can become very tense as they further attempt to defend the spine from the potentially uncomfortable twisting and bending of an active gait. Also, the increased impulsion and muscular tension creates a critical counter force leading to further compression of the spinous processes.

Some horses stabilize and learn to work like this by becoming sufficiently supple in the limb joints, although their gaits will be incurably crooked, one-sided and limited. In some cases, horses experiencing this syndrome develop very tense back muscles leading to severe behavioral and riding resistances. At that stage, it has possibly become a "kissing spine."

Kissing spine is characterized by the vertebrae becoming kinked by the Longissimus Dorsi muscle (long back muscle) spasming, and the spinous processes touching each other and crushing the nerve. The red stars in the picture below show the areas of kissing spine.

A secondary effect of the spine losing elasticity is that kinetic force is thrown forward towards the shoulders as it can no longer be absorbed through the horse’s center. This pushes the lowest part of the cervical (neck) section of the spine, the base of the neck, downwards between the shoulder blades. This robs the horse of forehand ‘suspension’, plunging it downhill, onto the forehand and heavily into the rider’s hand making straightness and balance physically impossible.

It is likely that advanced kissing spine cases may also have spinal interference in the sixth and seventh cervical (neck) vertebrae and the first thoracic vertebrae contributing to the bracing resistance found in the rein contact of affected horses.

The spine carried low between the shoulder blades.

How to Tell if a Horse Has Spinal Crowding Syndrome or Kissing SpineIn motion, our bodies are just a biological mechanism, a machine for moving around. As with any machine, the angles that force travel must be carefully aligned. A car with a flat tire will pull heavily to one side, for example. Any mechanical misalignment will wear parts quickly due to the excess strain put upon them. When the horse’s spine or ‘chassis’ is misaligned, all the subtle dynamics of limb flight and joint trajectories are thrown out of line causing all sorts of imbalances, restrictions and excesses.

As difficult as it is for the horse to do as asked under these circumstances, things are almost as awkward the rider who is severely jiggled about or even downright ejected, unable to ride in a soft, light way, therefore reinforcing the horse’s tension. Aids then become impossible for the horse to understand creating a vicious circle of defensive tension that is tricky to break.

Horses are generous and silent triers. They don’t audibly yelp in pain like people or other pets, so sometimes the initial signs of spinal crowding are hard to notice. The signs are often seen as individual problems with no common cause, but they do have telltale predictability.

There are two methods that should be employed to diagnose SCS or KS. They are back x-rays or other diagnostic imaging and movement assessment….and they work hand in hand.

Movement AssessmentAs spinal crowding symptoms come in groups, we can start by giving each horse a ‘Core score’ when riding. Here is a table of symptoms for each score as a guide.

Secondary Effects

As with a tire when cornering, lateral force distorts growth of the hoof.

There are When any machine has dynamic misalignments, individual parts will be asked to support a different kind of strain than that for which they were designed. Unfortunately, the secondary effects of spinal crowding will show excessive strain in the area most used by the horse to compensate for avoiding his back correctly. This often appears in the limbs and feet as a seemingly unrelated problem.

Hoof flares are a good example. The ‘sway’ of hoof growth on one side of the foot shows a repetitive lateral slide of that limb, like a car tire under cornering.

The presence of forces from a direction which the limb was not designed can form all manner of reaction over time. Bony growths, joint swellings, self-interference and excessive wear show that a body part has endured excessive repetitive strain. The goal of correcting the horse’s core strength is to diminish and heal these ailments, without resorting to kissing spine surgery.

Can You Kiss Kissing Spine or SCS Good-Bye Without Surgery?In part two of this blog which will be published on October 6th, Simon will discuss the specific exercises riders can do to improve their horse’s core strength while riding. There are also various stretches and core strengtheners you can do from the ground that I will discuss in a separate blog post later.

The goal of ridden and on the ground stretches and core strengthening is to create the magic and avoid or correct SCS and KS without surgery. While correcting SCS or KS is not possible 100% of the time, these exercises are absolutely worth doing! It is no different than going to a human PT to fix issues in a more natural, holistic, and less invasive way thereby avoiding surgery.

What did you learn about Spinal Crowding Syndrome and Kissing Spine? What questions do you have? How did your horse score on his or her movement analysis? Join the conversation on the ﻿Stretch Your Horse Facebook page﻿.

Simon Cocozza is a European qualified Dressage trainer and rider currently based in Normandy, France, and a registered Instructor and Examiner for La Fédération Française d’Equitation (FFE).After passing the BHSAI in London, England, he then studied for the Advanced National Certificate in Equine Business Management and Equitation (ANCEBM) at Warwickshire College of Equine Studies. After graduating, he was understudy to Grand Prix dressage rider Bertil Voss (NL) with whom he learned to ride and train high-level performance horses. Since then, has had the pleasure of helping clients and horses to many French and European Championship successes.

His current work in dressage focuses on competition performance and unlocking the mysteries of optimal technique and proper biomechanics. His current lecture and tour is called "Releasing Your Horse's Inner Dancer" followed by "Ridden Exercises to Improve Your Horse's Core Strength. He can be reached at quadriapony@aol.com.

Here are 10 horse health questions. Grab paper and a pen or your laptop or tablet to record your answers. (The answers are provided below question 10.)

Question 1: Can deworming your horse on a regular basis help prevent colic? a) Yes b) NoQuestion 2: According to recent studies, what percentage of saddles do not fit the horse they are used on? a) 10-15% b) 20-25% c) 30-40% d) 50-60% e) 75% or moreQuestion 3: What is the resting heart rate for the average adult horse?

Question 4: Where is the horse’s clavicle or “collar bone” located?

Question 5: Can you name 3 of the top 10 most toxic and poisonous plants for horses?

Question 6: How many gallons of water per day should the average healthy adult horse drink?

Question 7: Can stretching your horse help decrease the aging process of the musculoskeletal system? a) Yes b) No

Question 8:Is there a difference between laminitis and founder? a) Yes b) NoQuestion 9: If your horse has asymmetrical shoulders (meaning shoulders that are not the same size and shape), should you use saddle pad shims in: a) Both sides of your saddle pad b) Only the side with the larger, more developed shoulder c) Only the side with the small, less developed shoulderQuestion 10: How tight should your horse’s noseband be if you use one? a) One finger should fit between the noseband leather and horse's nose. b) Two fingers should fit between the noseband leather and the horse's nose. c) It depends on how hot the horse is. d) It depends on how stubborn the horse is.

Here are the answers to the quiz questions.

Q1 Answer: Yes. Many cases of colic are actually associated with parasites.

Q2 Answer:The correct answer is E. 75% or more of saddles do not fit the horse they are used on.

Q4 Answer:This is a trick question! Horses do not have a clavicle or collar bone.

Q5 Answer:The top 10 most toxic and poisonous plants for horse are:

Braken Fern

Tansy Ragwart

Johnsongrass/Sudan grass

Hemlock

Locoweed

Oleander

Red maple trees

Water hemlock

Yellow star thistle/Russian knapweed

Yew

According to Anthony Knight, BVSc, MRCVS, plant toxicologist from Colorado State University, these are the 10 most dangerous plants for horses. Here is a link to great summary of his study in EQUUS magazine, complete with pictures of each plant, a description of the danger posed, signs and what to do if your horse becomes poisoned.

Q6 Answer:The average, healthy adult horse that weights 1000 lbs should consume approximately 5-10 gallons of water per day if the horse lives in a temperate climate and is not working. This works out to about a half gallon to a gallon of water per hundred pounds of body weight. If the horse’s workload increases or the horse lives in a hot OR cold climate, the need for water increases. Horses with certain medical conditions may also need more water. Here is a link to great article on horses and water consumption.

Q7 Answer:Yes. According to a ﻿study conducted by Dr. Ava Frink﻿, DVM, muscles and connective tissue respond to overuse by shrinking and tightening. Its response to underuse is much the same. Stiffness can result in injury, lead to inactivity, and eventually speed up the aging process of the musculoskeletal system.

Q8 Answer:In the equine world, laminitis and founder are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Laminitis is a condition that can lead to founder if the case is chronic.

Laminitis occurs when the soft laminae tissue in the hoof become inflamed and swell. There can also be lack of adequate blood flow. Swelling of the laminar bond between layers of the hoof lead to the initial phases of acute laminitis. As the swelling increases, so do the problems for the horse.

Chronic inflammation of the laminar bond can result in a bone in the foot, called the coffin bone or pedal bone, separating from the hoof wall. The laminae hold the coffin bone in place and attach it to the hoof wall. Inflammation and/or death of the laminae means they can no longer do their job of holding the coffin bone in place. As the condition progresses (or if left untreated), the coffin bone can begin to rotate and slip downward toward the sole of the foot and even through the sole of the foot. When a horse’s coffin bone rotates downward or sinks, the horse has entered a stage of chronic laminitis or founder.

Q9 Answer:C is the correct answer. The purpose of shims is to bring the saddle to a level and stable position. Therefore, the shoulder that is less developed, more hallow or “smaller” is where the shim(s) should be utilized.

Q10 Answer:The correct answer is B. The “two finger” test is the general rule. This means riders should be able to stick two fingers in between the leather and the horse’s nose. A tight noseband can cause both physical and psychological damage to the horse. Studies are ongoing to determine the extent of the damage.

How did you do on the quiz? What did you learn? What subjects would you like to share more information on or ask questions about? Join the conversation on theStretch Your Horse Facebook page.

This blog post is the second part of a two part series discussing the topline of the horse. We are very fortunate to have guest blogger, Rebekah Larimer, a European and Olympian-trained USDF Bronze medalist, who will discuss the top 3 riding tips and exercises every rider should do to improve their horse's topline.

A Quick ReminderIn case you missed﻿last week's blog post,﻿I discussed key topline basics and shared﻿﻿3 DIY exercises and stretches ﻿contained in the Stretch Your Horse App that any rider could do to improve their horse’s topline from the ground. There are many factors that can affect a horse’s topline including conformation, feet issues, nutrition, saddle fit, age, exercise level and type, riding ability and pregnancy status. A healthy horse with a “good topline” will typically have excellent muscle tone and suppleness, move well, and display athleticism. That is why riders would like their horse to have a good topline (and why horses want one too! :) ) But remember…. Every horse is unique. Some may be older and have a sway back (large dip in the back.) Others may have conformational challenges. It is not about comparing your horse to the ideal topline, but rather helping your horse achieve the best topline they can have given the myriad factors affecting the topline mentioned above.

Horses Are Like Humans with A Backpack On Their BackHorses typically naturally move their best when we are not on them. We have all seen a gorgeous horse who is a stunning mover when loose out in the field. Put a saddle and rider on, and suddenly they do not move as well. Their head and neck may pop up and/or their back may drop blocking impulsion and forward energy which in turn prevents the hind legs from fully coming underneath them. This happens because our weight changes their balance and how they naturally carry themselves. (Saddle fit may be a factor as well, but that is whole separate topic.)

Think of the human back as being similar to the topline of the horse (except it is vertical instead of horizontal). Most people unconsciously arch their back to carry the weight of a backpack instead of consciously engaging their core and retaining proper posture which is needed for optimal movement. This strains the back and changes the pelvis angle which in turn changes the leg stride. Arching the lower back also changes the upper back, shoulder and neck position and can cause soreness, pulled or torn muscles as well as spinal alignment issues.

It is the same for horses. Since our horses allow us the privilege of riding them, it is our job to be their physical therapist and teach them how to properly carry themselves when we ride. This applies to all breeds and riding disciplines and whether you are riding with a bit, bitless bridle or without a bridle.

Top 3 Riding Tips, Tests and Exercises to Improve Your Horse’s ToplineHere are 3 riding tips, tests and exercies to help improve your horse’s topline, assuming you and your horse are healthy.

Riding Tip #1: Determine Rider BalanceI make an initial evaluation of all riders when they have their first lesson with me to establish a baseline and a plan. Here is a typical story. “Cindy” mounted her horse and warmed up at the walk. Initially, she seemed to be a competent rider. Once we started trotting, she was still doing pretty well, but there were a few subtle red flags. I asked her to ride on a long rein without holding onto the saddle or the horse. Cindy immediately lost her balance. Even though it was somewhat subtle, when her reins were short, she was balancing on her horse's mouth. This is a very common scenario. I was not surprised.

Test #1: Determine Your Own Balance When RidingThere are many things riders can do to improve their balance. The most important first step is to honestly evaluate it. In all gaits, are you able to repeatedly pick up and drop your reins without losing your balance, affecting your horse’s gait quality and tempo, or the horse tossing its head?

Exercise #1: Finding Your Balance: Watch the Videos!If you did not pass Test #1, focus on yourself by riding with a long, loose rein on a safe horse. Learn how to move and flow with the horse in each gait. In order to appear relatively still and relaxed on a moving object, you have to move in harmony with the object.

Here is a ﻿short video﻿ demonstrating this evaluation test and exercise at the posting and sitting trot.

Please note my goal was to simply pick up and drop the reins. It was the horse’s choice to go into a nice position or not during this video. He sometimes did, and sometimes didn’t. I was not asking him to be perfect since that was not the goal. The goal in this exercise is to evaluate how smooth you, the rider is, in picking up and dropping the reins without interfering with your horse. If your horse changes tempo/gait or tosses their head, you know you have some work to do.

Another way to evaluate and improve your balance is to take a lunge line lesson from time to time and tie up your reins. Ride at different gaits. While riding, with your arms, do the “backstroke,” some gentle twists from the core, put your arms in stick ‘em up, up over your head etc. Use your core but keep flowing with the horse’s motion. Be sure you do not overarch your back to stay balanced as that blocks the horse’s motion.

A great way to improve your balance and core strength off the horse is to balance while sitting on a yoga or horse ball with your feet off the ground! Taking a pilates or yoga class can help too!

Why Do These Exercises Help Improve Your Horse’s Topline? Think: Independent SeatOften times riders unconsciously use the reins to balance, which means they are literally balancing or bracing on their horse’s mouth. This is one of the most common reasons horses do not want to “put their head down” and engage their core. Balancing on the mouth causes the horse’s head to stay up, which drops their back, and blocks their hind legs from coming underneath themselves. It also builds the wrong muscles in an undesirable pattern and can cause other muscles to atrophy. The extreme opposite is a horse that has its nose to its chest to avoid the rider’s hands. This is too extreme and builds undesirable muscles as well.

By gaining proficiency with these exercises, you will gain an “independent seat” which will enable your horse to use the desired muscles unimpeded by you and start to build their topline.

Head and neck postures courtesy of www.horsetalk.co.nz

Head and neck too rounded. Nose behind vertical.

Riding Tip #2: Determine Your Horse’s Balance and FlexibilityI commonly see horses constantly being ridden in the same frame which is detrimental to balance and flexibility and causes injury.

Test #2: Determine Your Horse’s Balance and FlexibilityCan your horse go smoothly back and forth between a collected and stretched frame in all gaits? The “stretch frame” is also called long and low or gently chewing the reins out of your fingers. Your horse should be reaching down with its neck while maintaining their nose on or slightly in front of the vertical while keeping or improving the gait quality and tempo.

Exercise #2: Helping Your Horse Find Their BalanceFirst, your horse needs to know how to put its head and neck down (aka collection or in a connected frame) on cue. There are many ways to accomplish this since each horse is an individual with their personal preferences. Here's one method. Hold one rein steady while the other rein is “playful” (like squeezing a sponge with your fingers). Stop "playing" with the rein as soon as your horse gives or puts its head down even a little. Give or soften with your hands as soon as you get a response even if it is not as low as you would like long term. Giving or softening is your horse’s biggest reward! But, be careful not to throw away the reins.

A bob of the head is okay in the beginning since your horse may have no idea what you are asking them to do. Expect and allow them to briefly put their head up again for 3-4 strides. Then ask again. This way your horse learns the cue, realizing they are not being forced or held in position. They will want to be in that position since it feels better especially as they gain muscle strength and suppleness, and understand they are not being forced.

Each horse learns this best at a different gait. Some horses learn this best at the halt, others at a trot. I typically do not train this at a walk in the beginning since walking is the hardest gait and easiest to mess up. Be happy with your horse learning this exercise one gait at a time and slowly build from there. And, when your horse’s get it right, be lavish with praise.

Over time, you will “glue” the asking and giving pieces together. Your horse will appear seamless with their hind legs engaged, back lifted, and core/abdominals engaged and connected. Your horse will be light in your hands, relaxed, confident and working with you. Remember, it is our job to be their guide and their physical therapist and show them the way. This process can take a couple of years to achieve in all gaits for some horses, others are naturally more gifted.

There should never be any holding, yanking, cranking, seesawing, or anything of the sort with your reins. Otherwise, you are going to have a stiff, braced horse who doesn’t understand what you want, will not trust you or your hands, and you will be building the wrong muscles and causing atrophy in others. You will also end up spending a lot of money on vet and bodyworker bills!

Great stretches! Neck is gently rounded. Nose at or slightly in front of vertical.

.Horses shown are in nice collected frames for their respective disciplines.

Why Does This Improve Your Horse’s Topline?Doing this exercise correctly means you are able to help your horse: a) Find their own balance; b) Become more flexible and adjustable; and c) Build more of the desired muscles Ilene discussed in part one of this blog series. This means your horse is using effectively using their whole body and the ring of muscles﻿without bracing (as long as the rider isn’t braced), and stretching their muscles from nose to tail while under saddle.

Also, you do not want have your horse to remain in one position or direction for more than 5 minutes, even on an advanced horse. Why?....

Imagine being at the gym doing a specific exercise. You maintain a certain position for 20 seconds and build from there. You could most likely do that, right? Now imagine if I told you to hold the same position no matter what for 10 minutes let alone 45 minutes, otherwise you will be in trouble. Do you see what I am getting at? Riders actually expect this from their horses when they expect them to be collected throughout the entire workout! It is our job to be our horse’s personal fitness trainer and physical therapist in order to avoid injury and pain.

Please keep in mind while doing this exercise that placing or encouraging your horse’s nose to be close chest is way too extreme. Your goal is to always have your horse’s nose on or slightly in front of the vertical. (Just ask Ilene about how many horses she has to help put back together via bodywork because of extreme neck positions. That really gets her going!)

Riding Tip #3: Hill TrainingThis is one of Karin Doncker’s (6 Time Olympian for 3 Day Eventing) favorite exercises for optimizing the topline and one of mine too!

Test #3: Determine Your Horse’s StrengthIs your horse able to work in all gaits at a slight grade of 15-30 degrees in a stretch and collected frame while maintaining good balance, energy, and relaxation?

Exercise #3: Systematically Strengthen The MusclesIf not, start with a lot of walking, making sure your horse is straight (hind hooves directly behind front hooves) whether going up or down the hill switching from time to time from a stretch to collected frame. This means your horse's head is not up in the air which causes the back to hollow. Progress gently and slowly! Once this is easy, increase to trot sets with lots of walk breaks. Advance to canter sets on both leads only when your horse shows the physical strength to do this in a relaxed and balanced way. Do this no more than 2 times per week. Remember not to push your horse more than you would yourself in your own human exercise work outs. No pain, no gain does NOT apply!

Why Does This Improve Your Horse’s Topline?This exercise helps your horse automatically use its hind end, whether it is going up or down a hill. The hind legs must come under their body toward their center of gravity, which means they need to lift their back, which lowers their head and neck. This builds the entire topline in one of the easiest manners for all horses and disciplines.

The Bottom Line…. Well Actually the Topline!There are many different ways to help enhance and strengthen your horse’s topline. These are 3 progressive tests, tips and exercises riders can do to help accomplish this important goal regardless of riding discipline.

What do you do to improve your horse’s topline? Do you have any questions or comments to share on this topic? Please post here or join the conversation on the Stretch Your Horse Facebook page.

The topline of the horse is a term used to describe the area of the horse including the withers, back, loin and croup as pictured below. So, what’s all the hoopla about having a good topline…. and what is a good topline?

The withers, back, loin and croup comprise the topline of your horse.

The shape of the topline varies greatly from horse to horse. There are many factors that can affect the topline including conformation, feet issues, nutrition, saddle fit, age, exercise level and type, riding ability and pregnancy status. A healthy horse with a “good topline” will typically have excellent muscle tone and suppleness, move well, and display athleticism. That is why riders would like their horse to have a good topline (and why horses want one too! :) )

What is a good topline? A picture is worth a thousand words.

Good topline. All areas are engaged, lifted and displaying good tone. Horse is relaxed and has good posture.

This horse has a dip in it back. The topline needs work.

This horse has a sway back. Note the large dip and atrophied muscles throughout the entire topline.

This blog post is part one of a two part series discussing 3 DIY exercises you can do from the ground to improve your horse’s topline regardless of your riding ability. All of the exercises assume you and your horse are healthy. Next week, we will have a guest blogger, European and Olympian-trained USDF Bronze medalist, Rebekah Larimer, discussing how you can improve your horse’s topline while riding.

One final word before jumping into the exercises and stretches. Every horse is unique. Some horses may be older and have sway backs (back with a big dip.) Other horses may have conformational challenges. The good news is that assuming your horse is healthy, you can improve your horse’s topline by strengthening and stretching the topline muscles and your horse’s core or abdominal muscles supporting it. It is not about comparing your horse to the ideal topline, but rather helping your horse achieve the best topline they can have given the myriad factors affecting the topline mentioned above.

A Quick Anatomy Primer

Horses have a superficial and a deep layer of muscles just like humans. (Some anatomists characterize the muscles as superficial, intermediate and deep.) Improving the topline requires stretching and strengthening the muscles of the topline AND the core or abdominal muscles as well!

The names and locations of the major muscles of the topline (and the horse in general) are depicted in the diagrams below. Please refer to the diagrams as we discuss the exercises and stretches. Think of them as horse pilates and horse yoga!

3 Topline Improvement Exercises & Stretches

1) Belly Lift aka horse sit ups! (# 9 in the Stretch Your Horse App)(The #s in parenthesis next to each muscle name below refer to the muscle charts above.)

You may have heard of the belly lift which is both a stretch for the withers, back and loin muscles and a strengthening exercise for the core aka abdominal muscles. For anatomy geeks like me, the specific muscles of the topline stretched are the trapezius(#4), serratus ventralis (#30), spinalis (#31), longissimus dorsi (long back muscle) (#32), and the intercostal muscles of the ribs (#14). The abdominals (#15 and #16) and the pecs (#13) are also strengthened as they engage to create the lift of the topline.

I have found that many riders are not doing the belly lift correctly, so their horse is not getting all the incredible benefits of this exercise. Many also give up as it can sometimes take 1-2 months for some horses to fully respond to the cues to do this exercise. It is important to stay with it! Success will come. And, as you and your horse get more experienced, eventually you may need to only touch your horse’s abs with one fingertip to signal your horse to do the belly lift.

﻿Here is a link to the Belly Lift stretch﻿ contained in the Stretch Your Horse App. This free sample link will only remain active for a short period of time, so be sure to watch it now! It explains the entire exercise and stretch step by step. It also provides some tricks for those of you with long fingernails so you can do the exercise without poking your horse!

Fingertips wiggle and press up on the abdominal groove, never moving more than 1/3 down the horse's abs. Starting position is with arm closest to the leg touching the horse's elbow. Do not move arms until lift is achieved in starting position. You are not playing the piano and moving fingertips up and down the groove.

2) Chin to Chest Stretch (#16 in the Stretch Your Horse App)(The #s in parenthesis next to each muscle name below refer to the muscle charts above.)

The Chin to Chest stretch is an excellent stretch for the trapezius (# 3 and 4) cervical rhomboids (#22) and splenius (#1) muscles of the topline. Also, one the cool things about this stretch is that most horses will also engage and strengthen the muscles in the withers pocket and even some in the back itself when doing it. Also, once you and your horse are proficient doing this stretch, you can do variations such as chin between the knees to increase muscle suppleness and strength.

This stretch involves using a treat. Be sure to watch the Successful Treat Stretching Tips video included in the SYH App at no additional charge.

﻿Here is a link to the Chin to Chest stretch﻿ contained in the Stretch Your Horse App. This free sample link will also only remain active for a short period of time, so be sure to watch it now! It explains the entire stretch step by step.The Chin to Chest Stretch involves safely holding a treat and using it to gently guide (well ok, entice) your horse to move its chin to the center of their chest and stretch the neck, withers and back. Ensuring the chin stays in the center is key. If your horse has tight neck muscles on one side, for example, they may move their chin toward that side and lose the benefits of this stretch.

3) Tail Pull/ Tail Circles Stretch (#9 in the Stretch Your Horse App)(The #s in parenthesis next to each muscle name below refer to the muscle charts above.)

This is both an exercise and stretch for almost every muscle in the horse’s topline. When done properly, the horse's tail is gently pulled back and the horse pulls it's body forward so the topline muscles are stretched and strengthened.

Rex loves the Tail Pull! He pulls slightly forward to increase the stretch and strengthen his entire topline. Be sure your body is aligned with the center of the horse's body, the horse is standing square and your arms are raised as if shooting a bow and arrow.

Because this stretch involves pulling on the tail, if your horse clamps their tail or the tail is very tight, you may have to do to Tail Semi-Circles for a week or two to loosen up the tail. The video explains how to do Tail Semi-Circles.

The Bottom Line…. Or Should I Say the Topline….Every horse is special and unique. Any healthy horse can reap the benefits of an improved topline whether they are a competitive sport horse, a horse that is ridden on leisurely traiI rides or in an arena, or a retired horse playing in the pasture with their buddy! A strong and supple core and topline is really a combination of yoga and pilates which we all know are highly beneficial for everyone!

The Stretch Your Horse App costs $2.99 and comes with 3 videos. Each additional instructional video costs only $1.99. Buy only the videos your horse needs at a fraction of the the price of one riding lesson, not to mention the cost of a vet or bodywork bill! And, once you download the videos, you can watch them as many times as you want right at your horse's side to be sure you are doing them correctly! No cell or wi-ci connection needed.

There are many ways a saddle can cause back soreness, tight muscles, muscle spasms and even lameness in both the horse and rider. One often overlooked cause are saddle panels in need of reflocking or refoaming. If the saddle panels are not in good condition, the overall safety, fit and functionality of the saddle is compromised. Rider and horse back pain are often the result.

What Is a Saddle Panel and Where Is It?In an English saddle, the panels are the part of the saddle that is underneath the seat and knee/thigh block area. The panels keep the tree (the "frame" of the saddle) off your horse's back and help absorb concussion. They are also an integral part of saddle fit and rider balance.

If you flip your saddle over, the panels are the part of the saddle that have "stuffing" in them as seen in the picture below. The stuffing can be natural or synthetic wool, which is often referred to as flocking, or foam. A small number of saddles have a combination of both. Panels can also be filled with air. (Air panels will be discussed in a future blog post.) Unfortunately, unscrupulous saddle makers and reflockers sometimes put matches, wood chips, old carpet fibers and even tampons in the panels, often putting high quality wool at the entrance to the flocking ports (holes) to give the illusion that wool was used to flock the entire saddle.

What is Saddle Reflocking and Refoaming? How Do I Know If My Saddle Needs To Be Reflocked or Refoamed?There are two types of saddle reflocking. 1) Spot reflocking refers to making a small adjustment to the wool by adding or removing some of it to address a specific localized issue. 2) Full saddle reflocking is the process by which all the old wool (or other materials) inside the saddle panels is removed and new wool is placed inside the panels. This can be done via small slits in the saddle panels called “flocking ports” or by removing the panels from bottom of the saddle, opening them up and then restitching and re-attaching them.

The picture below is a saddle panel that is detached from the top part of the saddle where the seat is. The panel has been cut open so you can see the wool inside the panel.

Regardless of whether your saddle needs spot or full reflocking, flocking irons (pictured below) are the tools used during the reflocking process to ensure the wool is uniformly placed throughout the panel or in the correct location in the case of spot reflocking.

Refoaming a panel usually involves making a new panel because the foam is attached to the panel via adhesives and felt. An entirely new piece of foam needs to be utilized in this process. There are a small number of fitters that will remove foam panels, open them up, and shave the foam, but this is somewhat risky due to the unforgiving nature of foam. Once it is shaved, it cannot be glued back on….and millimeters can make a difference.

In either case, it is very important that reflocking and refoaming is done in a skilled manner so the panels are symmetrical side to side, the saddle remains balanced front to back and the panels are not too hard or too soft. If not, the rider may be pitched forward or backward or tip to one side. This will impair the horse’s ability to move correctly and freely resulting in back pain, soreness and possibly lameness for both horse and rider as well as riding difficulties.

Whether your saddle panels contain wool or foam, eventually they will need to be reflocked or refoamed. This is an often overlooked cause of rider and horse back pain, even by many highly talented vets, human and equine bodyworkers and chiropractors.

Key signs it is time to reflock or refoam include:

Panels feel hard or lumpy

Panels are asymmetrical, meaning each panel is a different shape (side to side imbalance)

Saddle panels are not balanced front to back (pommel to cantle)

"Holes" in the flocking or foam can be felt when running your hands down the panel

The flocking or foam has "thinned out" or flattened out

Check out this short DIY video to learn how to check your saddle panels to determine if they need reflocking or refoaming.

Will a Newly Refloocked or Refoamed Saddle Automatically Fit My Horse?Saddle reflocking or refoaming and saddle fit are two distinct but related items riders need to understand. Reflocking and refoaming the panels does not automatically guarantee saddle fit. Generally speaking, reflocking and refoaming restore the panels to their original shape. If a saddle fundamentally does not fit your horse, because, for example, the tree is curved and your horse’s back is straight, refoaming or reflocking will not make it fit. Additionally, if the panels on your saddle have become very thin, it is possible your saddle may be too narrow once the panels are restored to their normal size and shape. In that case, the saddle may need to be widened.

Can Panels Be Flocked to Match the Shape of My Horse to Fit Better?One of the advantages of wool flocking is that the panels will mold, somewhat, to the shape of your horse’s back. Also, spot flocking can sometimes be used to account for small asymmetries or other issues. But, there are limitations on the use of spot flocking. If too much flocking is added, the panel can become hard and cause pain. Each situation should be carefully evaluated to determine if shims are a better option, which is often the case when larger areas need customization. Shims can be created in many different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses. For example, I have 15 different shoulder shims alone. Shims are also easier for the rider to maintain as they can easily be removed if no longer needed due to muscle development.

The Bottom Line on Saddle Panels and Back PainOne important thing riders can do to help themselves and their horse stay pain-free and move to the best of their ability is to become educated about what is in their saddle panels, the condition of the panels, and the impact their saddle panels have on their horse and themselves. Work with a saddle fitter who is trained in both saddle fitting and saddle reflocking to help ensure your saddle panels are helping you and your horse enjoy every ride.

How often do you check your saddle panels? Did you know this was necessary? Did you check them out after reading this blog and watching the video? What did you discover? Tell us your story! Share here or on our Facebook page.

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